The U.S. has gone to the dogs, quite literally. A new report has found that 43 million households in America have dogs, while only 38 million homes currently have at least one child under the age of 18.
Based on those numbers, 95% of counties from 2000 to 2010 witnessed a general decrease in the number of new children born into their communities.
The effects of those number drops are more pronounced in rural areas where young people have left their rural homes behind for urban areas.
One demographer told USA Today :
“Another place would be the yuppie county in the central city, where gentrification has occurred and there are young 20-somethings who don’t have any children.”
Because of those drops in certain areas parents are finding it harder to scout out the type of services their children need and want such as schools, daycare facilities and toy stores.
At this time there appears to be no factors that will push America back into a baby boom, a fact that could put a strain on the U.S. economy ages and less children and grandchildren are available to pay and care for the elderly.
It looks like 2.5 children and a home with a white picket fence is no longer the American dream.
